Visitors speeding along I-94 through North Dakota at 75 mph see it all the time as they pass Jamestown:  the World’s Largest Buffalo.  But those who pull off the road to have their photo taken with the big buffalo will find much more.

The World’s Largest Buffalo is at the end of Jamestown’s Frontier Village, a collection of restored buildings that form an entire community, from the saloon to the bank to the dentist to the depot and much more.  Some of these are museum buildings, and some are shops that sell handmade items, souvenirs, or treats.  It’s a large collection of buildings lining the village streets with its wooden boardwalk.  One unique building is the Louis L’Amour Shack, which remembers the Jamestown native and western author.  A brochure outlining a Louis L’Amour trail, as well as other local attractions, is available at the Jamestown Visitors Center at the entrance to the frontier village.

At the other end of the village is a playground, pony and stagecoach ride area, and then the buffalo.  (I’m saving the buffalo photos and information for Photo Friday, so be sure to stay tuned.)

Down a side street in the Frontier Village is the National Buffalo Museum.  This museum, completed in 1993, hosts many different exhibits, all relating to the buffalo.  There is a buffalo-hide tipi, buffalo artwork, and also information about the Plains Indians in North Dakota.  A children’s exhibit allows children to explore the wildlife of North Dakota.  The museum gift shop has related items and souvenirs. The National Buffalo Museum is the only part of the complex for which admission is charged.

The North Dakota Buffalo Foundation, which runs the museum, also maintains the buffalo herd outside.  The buffalo herd can be seen from an overlook museum at the museum, or from various other points in the area of the Frontier Village.  If you’re lucky, you’ll spot one or more of the three albino buffalo that are part of the herd.

During the summer months, special events are offered in the Frontier Village.  We got there just in time for a wild west shootout reenactment, which was exciting for my son.  (My daughter didn’t like the loud noises, so she hid in the Louis L’Amour Shack during the shootout.)

The next time you’re driving through North Dakota, be sure to stop in Jamestown.  Have you picture taken by the World’s Largest Buffalo, but also take some time to explore the Frontier Village and learn about the North Dakota Bison at the National Buffalo Museum.

Note: My children and I received free admission to the National Buffalo Museum, courtesy of Buffalo City Tourism.

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